Letter: Police know the odds when responding to calls

Sunday

Sep 8, 2019 at 4:10 AM

The Aug. 24 Dispatch article "Police: Report on force needs context" explained that just taking a poll of who is receiving use of force by police cannot be used as fact that police discriminate against blacks. It was written well and explained the context the polls leave out. However, it did not mention the fact that it isn't always the police officer's fault that use of force is needed.

No one seems to face the fact that so many of these situations result from the lack of respectful compliance from the victims. Anyone watching the news on TV can see suspects arguing, fighting, running from police. Cops know the statistics and are already in a self-defense mode when they are called into a high-crime area.

Anything an offender does receives a like response from a cop because he is already expecting resistance. So, whose fault is it really?

We need more education in the schools about how the law works and what happens to one if they resist in a police encounter.

Leslie Smith, Columbus

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